UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) speaks with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as he welcomes her upon arrival outside 10 Downing Street on March 2, 2025 ahead of a European leaders’ summit.
Henry Nicholls / AFP
Some believe tinkering with the convention is not enough—that members should leave it altogether.
Plans to negotiate a new approach to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) are a step in the right direction for those who favour proper border control. But will that be enough when some nations are not a step but a mile behind on getting a grip on migration?
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been one of the main drivers of change, and on Wednesday celebrated 27 nations joining a joint declaration on “the need to update the application of the [more-than-seven-decade-old] convention to the complex world of today.”
This approach will enable us to ensure that the security of our citizens, which is an absolute priority for our governments, is adequately protected and not subordinated to interpretations of the law that could end up rewarding individuals who have committed serious violations.
Oggi, alla Conferenza dei Ministri della Giustizia del Consiglio d'Europa a Strasburgo, 27 Paesi membri del Consiglio d'Europa hanno approvato una dichiarazione congiunta sulla Convenzione europea dei diritti dell'uomo. La dichiarazione sottolinea la necessità che il quadro…
In the UK, where the Strasbourg-based convention’s (often ludicrous) meddling in national migration affairs has been a headline grabber for much of the past year, it seems almost no one is pleased with this declaration.
The Labour left complains that the government is destroying “our last line of defence against torture, tyranny and despotism,” all as part of a bid to “pander” to the “far right.”
But more right-wing figures say that adjusting the convention is not enough, insisting that Britain should leave it altogether.
Tory bigwig Suella Braverman on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “lying—again.”
Reform of the ECHR is impossible. Leaving is our only option.
Political professor Matthew Goodwin also compared the move to former PM David Cameron’s failed attempt to reform Britain’s relationship with the European Union in order to persuade voters against Brexit, saying: “We do not need to tinker with the ECHR: we need to LEAVE the ECHR.”
That is the only way you can control your borders, deport foreign criminals and put British laws and people first
The 46 signatories of the ECHR are scheduled to adopt a “political declaration” at a summit scheduled for next May.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
